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SINGAPORE: The launch of an air travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong has been postponed two weeks after a surge in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong, Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Saturday. afternoon (November 21).
The air travel bubble was supposed to start on Sunday.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Ong said he has had discussions with Hong Kong’s Secretary for Trade and Economic Development Edward Yau about the travel bubble.
“Given the evolution of the situation in Hong Kong, (Mr.) Yau and I discussed further this afternoon and decided that it would be better to postpone the launch of the air travel bubble by two weeks,” Ong said.
READ: Singapore in ‘close contact’ with Hong Kong over ‘severe’ COVID-19 situation there ahead of air travel bubble launch
“We will review the new release date in two weeks and update it again.
“I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travelers who have planned their trips. But we think it is better to differ from a public health point of view.”
The airlines will contact individual travelers, the transport minister added.
On Saturday, Hong Kong reported 43 new cases of COVID-19, 36 of which were transmitted locally.
“In light of the recent increase in local cases, we have decided, together with the Singapore government, to postpone the launch of the air travel bubble for two weeks,” Yau told reporters in Hong Kong.
“This is a sober reminder that the COVID-19 virus is still with us, and even as we struggle to regain our normal lives, the journey will be full of ups and downs. But we will move on and look forward to when we can safely launch the bubble of air transport, “said Mr. Ong.
Early on Saturday morning, Ong said there was a “high probability” that the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble would be suspended if the COVID-19 situation in Hong Kong continued on its current trajectory.
READ: Air Travel Bubbles, More Green Lanes Part of Plans for Singapore to ‘Revive’ Changi Air Hub Amid COVID-19 – Ong Ye Kung
Under the terms of the travel bubble, the deal would be suspended if the seven-day moving average of unrelated cases exceeds five per day in either city.
Hong Kong has seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, a situation that the city’s Food and Health Secretary Sophia Chan on Friday described as “serious.”
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